TITLE: Another Odyssey (1/1)
AUTHOR: Elizabeth (sef7881@aol.com)
WEBSITE: https://www.angelfire.com/scary/randominsanity/RandomInsanity.html
PAIRING: Sean Bean/Orlando Bloom
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: He can't afford to go down this road again
FEEDBACK: It's the highlights in my hairdo, the extra arms on Vishnu
WARNINGS: None
SPOILERS: 'The Fellowship of the Ring', but if you haven't seen it
by now . . .
DISCLAIMER: This story is solely a product of my twisted imagination
ARCHIVE: BTF, Of Elves and Men, Green Opals, my site; all others please
ask, but I'll surely say yes
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is a series of five drabbles inspired by the fact
that Sean is playing Odysseus and Orlando is playing Paris in 'Troy'
DATE WRITTEN: June 30th, 2003
1999:
He meets Orlando at the worst possible time. Things are going downhill with his marriage, and the last thing he needs is to meet a beautiful boy with eyes like sin and a smile like salvation.
Orlando is everything Sean isn't -- young, naive, optimistic, happy. And he's blind to the pain that love can yield. But Sean knows that pain all too well, and sternly reminds himself that he can't afford to go down this road again.
Except that Sean can't simply flick a switch and forget about the warmth he feels when he sees Orlando. If only it were that easy.
2000:
He's journeyed down this road before. The road where attraction outweighs reason and falling in love seems like the best option. That road has always been a dead end for him.
Sean finds himself relieved that Boromir dies in the first part of the trilogy. This way he can go back to England and concentrate on his girls and his garden. He won't have to see Orlando every day or deal with the fantasies he has of him every night.
When he returns to New Zealand later that year, he's terrified. Not of flying, but of falling. Falling for Orlando.
2001:
He winces as the needle bites crisply through his skin, forever branding him as one of the Fellowship. Orlando stands next to him with a smile on his face, holding Sean's hand as a gesture of comfort.
Sean can see Orlando's tattoo on his forearm. He knows for a fact that tattooed skin doesn't taste any differently than regular skin, but he wouldn't mind performing an experiment on Orlando just to be sure.
The tattoo is complete, giving Sean an indelible connection to Orlando. That makes him smile. He realizes now that he would never want to lose that connection.
2002:
He smiles when Orlando envelops him in his customary hug. The familiar joy of being around him is back in full force, and Sean can't stop his heart from racing all through the awards show.
Sean is convinced that whatever chance he may have had with Orlando passed him by the moment he left New Zealand. He looks at Orlando's face and sees nothing but his own regrets.
When the night ends, he lets Orlando's parting embrace flow through his bloodstream and provide him with a little extra warmth that he can use to stave off the cold of loneliness. He curses himself a coward as he bids Orlando goodbye.
2003:
He doesn't usually believe in fate, but he's willing to make an exception here. As he arrives in Malta, he can't help but think that this role is destiny's way of telling him to swallow his fears and regrets so he can find happiness again.
Orlando is older and wiser, but still full of the same infectious joy that made Sean fall in love with him. He's the one who takes the initiative, kissing Sean and saying that he's not letting another chance pass them by.
Sean smiles and takes Orlando's hand in his. He's finally ready
for this odyssey.
